My recent journey in decreasing prednisone

[Linny3]

Hello Everyone

This is my 8th year having pmr. I have used the slow method many times and have used 2 different meds. to help me. Methotrexate and plaquenil. and have not been able,(until now) to decrease my pred. amount.

Last June I was given 25mg pred. because I had major surgery and it was felt I needed a higher dose in order to help me recover.

Since that time I only had one flare that set me back a little. Now I am on 8&1/2mg.

I changed two things that has helped immensely. My back is very bad with lots of pain. It was getting hard to tell pmr pain from the back issues. I was given hydrocodone to help me sort it out. I was allowed 1 a day. As we know pain meds. don't help with the pmr. So if the pain pill helped then I knew it wasn't pmr and I could stay the course of decreasing the pred. If it didn't help then I knew it was pmr. and I had decreased to far.

Second change was in the timing of the pred. I found the pred. does not last me but about 10 hours.

So I started splitting my dose. I take 3 &1/2 mg. at bed time and then I take 5 mg in the middle of the night depending on when I wake up. Then if I think I am getting achy around 11am I will take 1mg and see if it helps. It usually does. I add that 1 mg. to the next days dose.

I have been very comfortable and happy with how it is going.

I hope someone has found this helpful.

Have a wonderful day

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Good to hear you have found a regime that is helping… long may it continue.

[Linny3 in reply to DorsetLady]

Thank you

lets hope so.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Well done - it is all about finding what works for you to know what is what. Hope it continues

[SheffieldJane]

It sounds like a helpful strategy. Well done for taking charge.

[sidra1968]

Thanks, I find this quite helpful. I have had a rough time tapering. Currently back to 25 mg right now. I got down to 17.5 mg for over a month and was fine..3 days into 15 mg and it all came back. I tried upping a few mg and it would kind of work, but nothing but 25 mg has got it mostly under control. My system also doesn't let it last but 10 hours maximum, I was told I was a "rapid metabolizer" of meds (many times before this, even), so I also have to split my doses. Thanks for your post!! Hope it keeps working!

[Linny3 in reply to sidra1968]

Thank you for the response. I feel your frustration. I have been trying for 7 years to decrease the prednisone. The way I am doing it now seems to 🤔be working. I am taking steps to help me from flaring, and that is not what I use to do. This is the first time I can lower the does within 12 days.

Good luck